Frequently Asked Questions

Texas Utility Help is a program that provides financial assistance to qualified low income Texas households who need help to pay their utility bills. Eligible expenses include electricity, gas, propane, water, and wastewater.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) assists eligible low-income households with their heating and cooling energy costs, bill payment assistance, energy crisis assistance, weatherization and energy-related home repairs.

The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) is a water assistance program designed to assist low-income households in meeting their immediate water and wastewater needs.

Texas Utility Help funds are issued in the form of grants that households do not need to repay. The payments are made directly to the utility company.

No. In order to be eligible for assistance, the household must currently occupy the property as their primary residence.

Qualified Alien commonly refers to individuals with permanent resident status in the US, and it includes other groups as well. See full the definition of qualified alien here: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1641.

Please visit the TDHCA Help for Texans page to explore additional programs: https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/texans.htm.

Please refer to this chart to compare the programs and determine which one is best for your household.

Energy Program – Electricity, Gas, and Propane

• Assistance may be paid (i) up to the total past due amounts owed for electricity, gas and propane, plus (ii) up to $2,400 for prospective payments (one-time lump sum), depending on household income.

Water Program – Water and Wastewater

• Assistance may be paid (i) up to the total past due amounts owed for water and waste water, plus (ii) up to $2,400 for prospective payments through September 30, 2023 (one-time lump sum), depending on household income.

See full program overviews for more details.

Energy vendors are required to sign vendor participation agreements in order to receive payments.

Water and waste water vendors are encouraged to sign vendor participation agreements or they may receive payment subject to the payment terms.

Homeowners and renters are both eligible to apply. Eligible property types include:

• Single-family homes
• Multi-family buildings
• Mobile homes

No. Texas Utility Help can only pay electricity, propane, gas, water, and wastewater charges. If your bill includes trash or other charges, you will need to pay those fees before receiving assistance.

Texas households may be eligible for assistance from Texas Utility Help if their household income is at or below 150% of Federal Poverty Income Guidelines (“FPIG”). The maximum household income depends on how many persons are living in the household and is based on GROSS income (before taxes, deductions, etc.), not take-home pay.

All members of the household must be included in the income total regardless of citizenship status, however those who are not citizens or qualified aliens are not included in the Household size for income determination.

Effective for all applications reviewed on or after February 8, 2023, the Program Year 2023 Income Limits apply.

SOURCE: https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines

No. Qualifying households can receive assistance with qualifying utility bills even if they are current on their bill.

For electricity and gas, this assistance is a one-time lump sum advance payment to the utility for 100% of annual usage up to the household maximum of $2,400.

For water and wastewater, this assistance is a one-time lump sum advance payment to the utility for $85 per month through September 30, 2023 up to the household maximum of $2,400.

At least one occupant in the household needs to be a citizen or qualified alien in order to apply. Citizens and qualified aliens will be required to provide documentation establishing their status, such as a Passport or Permanent Resident Card. The immigration status of qualified aliens will be confirmed using the SAVE database.

Households with at least one occupant with U.S. citizen or qualified alien status are eligible. Applicants need to include information about all of the occupants living in the household, regardless of citizenship status. All members of the household must be included in the income total, however those who are not citizens or qualified aliens are not included in the Household size for income determination.

Households who provide proof of participation in the below programs are considered categorically eligible, meaning they do not need to submit income documentation:

• Supplemental Security Income payments from the Social Security Administration (SSI)
• Means-Tested Veterans Program recipient (Veterans Pension or Survivors Benefit, not Service-Connected Disability)
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Households are not allowed to receive duplicate payments for the same expense for the same time period.

If your application was decided (denied or paid) in 2022, you can submit an application for assistance in 2023 by logging in and using the “Add Case” button. Because it is a new calendar year, you will need to submit a new application with new documentation for household income, citizenship, and utility bills.

If your application was decided in 2023, you can request assistance for a different type of utility. For example, if you previously received assistance for electricity only and now you are seeking assistance for water and wastewater, you can request additional assistance by logging in and using the “Request Additional Assistance” button.

If you have an application that is currently under review, you cannot apply for additional assistance at this time. A decision (denied or paid) must be made before you can apply for additional assistance.

If you think you qualify, apply now here.

Below are examples of documents that households are required to submit with the application:

• Identification card
• Proof of citizenship or legal residency
• The most recent Utility bill (electricity, gas, propane, water, and/or wastewater bill) must be dated within 30 days, and applicants will be required to repeat the process of uploading the most recent utility bill monthly until the case is processed
• Income documentation such as award letters or paystubs for each member of your household
• Documentation showing the utility is disconnected, under threat of disconnect, past due or is a current bill

Once a household’s application is approved, payment is sent directly to the utility company.

All applications will be  carefully reviewed to ensure they meet  program eligibility requirements.  If documents or information is missing from your application, you will be contacted and asked to provide it.  Once your application review is completed, you will be notified whether you qualify for program assistance.  Application review times can vary.  Applicants can log into the portal at any time to check the status of their applications.

Funds returned by utility providers are returned to the general funding pool and are re-allocated across the entire population of applicants using standard prioritization methods to ensure available funds are allocated to the households with the most need at any given time.

To illustrate:

• If an applicant receives a benefit of $500 and subsequently terminates their relationship with their utility provider with a $100 credit balance, the $100 credit balance is returned by the utility provider to the program.
• That $100 is added back to the general funding pool and made available to the entire population of applicants.
• The $100 in returned funds is not reserved for the household to whom it was originally awarded. Other households who exhibit higher priority (their electric or water is currently disconnected, for example) will be awarded funds first.
• This allows the program to continually match available funding to the greatest need.

Households can appoint a representative to submit the online application on their behalf.